natural disasters

Hurricane season comes every year, and 90% of natural disasters nationwide involve flooding. Yet less than a fifth of U.S. homeowners have a flood insurance policy. With Hurricane Irene poised to hit the U.S. this weekend, now may be a good time to ask: Are you covered, and should you be?

Last week, the Army Corps of Engineers flooded Vicksburg, Miss., to save New Orleans, an awful choice that speaks volumes about how hard it is for even modern technology to fight Mother Nature. 24/7 Wall St. looks back at other times when water won the battle.

The Japanese automaker has extended its halt on vehicle production at its plants in Japan through March 22, as the country continues to reel from the devastation of last week's massive 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

Tornadoes, floods, severe weather: It's shaping up to be another bad year on the natural disaster front, and that could place increased pressure on the U.S. insurance industry.

The Rocky Mountain West is trying to take a devastating pine-beetle infestation and turn it to its economic advantage -- in fields as diverse as alternative energy and fine woodworking.

As the nation's insurance adjusters assess the damage of last weekend's deadly tornado, victims worry carriers may try to avoid covering claims related to the disaster. Insurers are including more exclusions in their policies and are low-balling the cost of repairs, critics say.